News

PRUNEDALE—A 35-year-old Watsonville man was injured in a butane honey oil lab explosion in Prunedale Monday. Francisco Ponce was in the area when Monterey County Sheriff’s Office deputies arrived at the 16000 block of Meridian Road around 3pm to investigate a report of an explosion. Ponce...

WATSONVILLE—Watsonville High senior Josh Rocha stood on the sidelines with 40 seconds left in the game, watching every second tick away until the scoreboard read all zeros.  “I was just soaking it in, this is my last time I’m ever going to put on this...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—The former Minneapolis police officer who was seen in a video killing a Black man by kneeling on his neck for more than nine minutes was convicted Tuesday on counts of second-degree murder, third-degree murder and manslaughter. Derek Chauvin faces at least 12...

LODI—A 57-year-old Watsonville woman who died April 17 after her parachutes failed to open while skydiving in Lodi has been identified as Sabrina Call, the San Joaquin Sheriff-Coroner confirmed. Witnesses said that both her main and reserve parachutes became tangled. The incident occurred at about 2:30pm...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—The Covid-19 pandemic has had a disparate impact on communities nationwide, with Latinx and Black communities experiencing greater impacts than white ones. That is according to a report heard Tuesday by the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors. The report, presented by Health Services...

Founded in 2013, the Birchbark Foundation grew out of what local veterinarian Dr. Merrianne Burtch saw as an unmet need in the community.  Burtch noticed that pet owners were facing fixable yet unaffordable crises with their animals, which often resulted in the only option being...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—When Sandra Nichols was elected to the Pajaro Valley Unified School District (PVUSD) Board of Trustees, the long-time educator—known for being well-prepared for meetings—says she made it a point to attend every one. In her time on the PVUSD board, which lasted from...

WATSONVILLE—Federal, state and local officials gathered at Atri Park in Watsonville Monday at a public ceremony to sign a design agreement for the Pajaro River Flood Management Project.  The long-awaited $400 million effort is designed to reduce flood risk for the “disadvantaged” communities of Pajaro...

WATSONVILLE—Since 2017, Pajaro Valley Unified School District (PVUSD) has partnered with nonprofit El Sistema Santa Cruz/Pajaro Valley to bring music education and performance to local students. During the pandemic, El Sistema has continued its work both virtually and in-person, with small cohorts of students signed...

WATSONVILLE—The Watsonville Planning Commission at its Tuesday meeting unanimously approved an application from Habitat For Humanity to fill a vacant portion of a large building on the 500 block of Main Street.  Formerly home to a bounce house business, the 555 Main St. location adjacent...